1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sample processing system and, more particularly, to a processing system having a plurality of processing apparatuses for processing a sample.
2. Description of the Related Art
A substrate (SOI substrate) having an SOI (Silicon On Insulator) structure is known as a substrate having a single-crystal Si layer on an insulating layer. A device using this SOI substrate has many advantages that cannot be achieved by ordinary Si substrates. Examples of the advantages are as follows.
(1) The integration degree can be increased because dielectric isolation is easy.
(2) The radiation resistance can be increased.
(3) The operating speed of the device can be increased because the stray capacitance is small.
(4) No well step is necessary.
(5) Latch-up can be prevented.
(6) A completely depleted field effect transistor can be formed by thin film formation.
Since an SOI structure has the above various advantages, researches have been made on its formation method for several decades.
As one SOI technology, the SOS (Silicon On Sapphire) technology by which Si is heteroepitaxially grown on a single-crystal sapphire substrate by CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) has been known for a long time. This SOS technology once earned a reputation as the most matured SOI technology. However, the SOS technology has not been put into practical use to date because, e.g., a large amount of crystal defects are produced by lattice mismatch in the interface between the Si layer and the underlying sapphire substrate, aluminum that forms the sapphire substrate mixes in the Si layer, the substrate is expensive, and it is difficult to obtain a large area.
Various SOI technologies have appeared next to the SOS technology. For these SOI technologies, various methods have been examined to reduce crystal defects or manufacturing cost. The methods include a method of ion-implanting oxygen into a substrate to form a buried oxide layer, a method of bonding two wafers via an oxide film and polishing or etching one wafer to leave a thin single-crystal Si layer on the oxide film, and a method of ion-implanting hydrogen to a predetermined depth from the surface of an Si substrate having an oxide film, bonding the substrate to another substrate, leaving a thin single-crystal Si layer on the oxide film by heating or the like, and peeling one (the other substrate) of the bonded substrates.
The present applicant has disclosed a new SOI technology in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-21338. In this technology, a first substrate prepared by forming an unporous single-crystal layer (including a single-crystal Si layer) on a single-crystal semiconductor substrate having a porous layer is bonded to a second substrate via an insulating layer. After this, the substrates are separated at the porous layer, thereby transferring the unporous single-crystal layer to the second substrate. This technique is advantageous because the film thickness uniformity of the SOI layer is good, the crystal defect density in the SOI layer can be decreased, the surface planarity of the SOI layer is good, no expensive manufacturing apparatus with special specifications is required, and SOI substrates having about several hundred xc3x85 to 10-xcexcm thick SOI films can be manufactured by a single manufacturing apparatus.
The present applicant has also disclosed a technique in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-302889, in which first and second substrates are bonded, the first substrate is separated from the second substrate without being broken, the surface of the separated first substrate is planarized, a porous layer is formed again, and the porous layer is reused. Since the first substrate is not wasted, this technique is advantageous in greatly reducing the manufacturing cost and simplifying the manufacturing process.
According to the SOI substrate manufacturing methods proposed by the present applicant, a high-quality SOI substrate can be manufactured. However, to mass-produce SOI substrates, for example, the series of processing operations must be performed at a high speed.
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above situation, and has as its object to provide a processing system suitable for manufacturing, e.g., an SOI substrate.
According to the present invention, there is provided a processing system for processing a sample, characterized by comprising a conveyor mechanism having a holding portion for holding a sample, the conveyor mechanism conveying the sample held by the holding portion, and a plurality of processing apparatuses disposed at equidistant positions separated from a driving shaft of the conveyor mechanism, wherein the conveyor mechanism pivots the holding portion about the driving shaft substantially in a horizontal plane and moves the holding portion close to or away from the driving shaft to convey the sample among the plurality of processing apparatuses.
In the processing system, preferably, for example, the sample to be processed is a plate-like sample, and the holding portion substantially horizontally holds the plate-like sample and conveys the sample.
In the processing system, for example, each of the plurality of processing apparatuses preferably receives/transfers the plate-like sample from/to the holding portion of the conveyor mechanism in a substantially horizontal state.
In the processing system, the plurality of processing apparatuses preferably include, e.g., a separating apparatus for separating the sample.
In the processing system, preferably, for example, the plate-like sample to be processed has a separation layer, and the plurality of processing apparatuses include a separating apparatus for separating the plate-like sample at the separation layer.
In the processing system, for example, the separating apparatus preferably separates the plate-like sample held horizontally.
In the processing system, for example, the separating apparatus preferably ejects a stream of a fluid toward the separation layer while horizontally holding the plate-like sample to separate the plate-like sample at the separation layer.
In the processing system, for example, the separating apparatus preferably ejects a stream of a fluid toward the separation layer while rotating the plate-like sample held horizontally to separate the plate-like sample at the separation layer.
In the processing system, for example, the separating apparatus preferably separates the plate-like sample sandwiched and held from upper and lower sides.
In the processing system, the separating apparatus preferably comprises, e.g., a Bernoulli chuck as a holding mechanism for holding the plate-like sample.
In the processing system, for example, the separating apparatus preferably applies pressure of a fluid substantially standing still to at least part of the separation layer to separate the plate-like sample at the separation layer.
In the processing system, preferably, for example, the separating apparatus has a closed vessel, stores the plate-like sample in the closed vessel, and sets internal pressure of the closed vessel at high pressure to separate the plate-like sample at the separation layer.
In the processing system, the plurality of processing apparatuses preferably include, e.g., a centering apparatus for centering the plate-like sample before the plate-like sample is transferred to the separating apparatus.
In the processing system, the plurality of processing apparatuses preferably include, e.g., a cleaning apparatus for cleaning portions of a plate-like sample obtained by separation by the separating apparatus.
In the processing system, for example, the cleaning apparatus preferably cleans the plate-like sample obtained by separation by the separating apparatus in the horizontal state.
In the processing system, the plurality of processing apparatuses preferably include, e.g., a cleaning/drying apparatus for cleaning and drying a plate-like sample obtained by separation by the separating apparatus.
In the processing system, for example, the cleaning/drying apparatus preferably cleans and dries the plate-like sample obtained by separation by the separating apparatus in the horizontal state.
In the processing system, the plurality of processing apparatuses preferably include, e.g., an inverting apparatus for pivoting an upper plate-like sample of two plate-like samples obtained by separation by the separating apparatus through 180xc2x0.
In the processing system, for example, processing operations by the plurality of processing apparatuses are preferably parallelly executed.
In the processing system, the conveyor mechanism preferably comprises, e.g., a scalar robot.
In the processing system, the separation layer is preferably, e.g., a layer having a fragile structure.
In the processing system, the layer having the fragile structure is preferably, e.g., a porous layer.
In the processing system, the layer having the fragile structure is preferably, e.g., a microcavity layer.
In the processing system, the plate-like sample to be processed is preferably a semiconductor substrate.
In the processing system, the plate-like sample to be processed is preferably formed by bonding a first substrate and a second substrate and has a layer having a fragile structure as the separation layer.
In the processing system, the plate-like sample to be processed is preferably formed by forming a porous layer on a surface of a first semiconductor substrate, forming an unporous layer on the porous layer, and bonding a second substrate to the unporous layer.
According to the present invention, there is provided a processing system for processing a sample, characterized by comprising a plurality of processing apparatuses for handling or processing the sample, and a conveyor mechanism having a holding portion for holding the sample, the conveyor mechanism linearly moving the holding portion in a horizontal plane and pivoting the holding portion about a pivot shaft, and moving the holding portion close to or away from the pivot shaft to convey the sample among the plurality of processing apparatuses, wherein the plurality of processing apparatuses are disposed at positions where the conveyor mechanism can transfer the sample.
In the above processing system, for example, the plurality of processing apparatuses are preferably disposed at substantially equidistant positions separated from a movable range of the pivot shaft.
In the above processing system, preferably, the conveyor mechanism has, e.g., a horizontal driving shaft and moves the holding portion along the horizontal driving shaft.
In the above processing system, some processing apparatuses of the plurality of processing apparatuses are preferably disposed, e.g., on one side of the horizontal driving shaft on a line substantially parallel to the horizontal driving shaft.
In the above processing system, remaining processing apparatuses of the plurality of processing apparatuses are preferably disposed, e.g., on the other side of the horizontal driving shaft on a line substantially parallel to the horizontal driving shaft.
In the above processing system, some processing apparatuses of the remaining processing apparatuses of the plurality of processing apparatuses are preferably disposed, e.g., at positions separated from one end and/or the other end of the horizontal driving shaft by a predetermined distance.
In the above processing system, preferably, the processing apparatuses disposed on one side of the horizontal driving shaft comprise a processing apparatus for manipulating the sample or physically or chemically processing the sample, and the processing apparatuses disposed on the other side of the horizontal driving shaft comprise a loader or unloader for handling the sample.
In the above processing system, preferably, for example, the processing apparatuses disposed on one side of the horizontal driving shaft and processing apparatuses disposed at one end and/or the other end of the horizontal driving shaft comprise processing apparatuses for manipulating the sample or physically or chemically processing the sample, and the processing apparatuses disposed on the other side of the horizontal driving shaft comprise loaders or unloaders for handling the sample.
In the above processing system, preferably, for example, the sample to be processed is a plate-like sample, and the conveyor mechanism substantially horizontally holds and conveys the plate-like sample with the holding portion.
In the above processing system, for example, each of the plurality of processing apparatuses preferably transfers/receives the sample to/from the holding portion of the conveyor mechanism in a substantially horizontal state.
In the above processing system, preferably, for example, the plate-like sample to be processed has a separation layer, and the plurality of processing apparatuses include at least one separating apparatus for separating the plate-like sample at the separation layer.
In the above processing system, the separating apparatus preferably separates the plate-like sample while, e.g., horizontally holding the sample.
In the above processing system, for example, the separating apparatus preferably ejects a stream of a fluid to the separation layer while horizontally holding the plate-like sample to separate the plate-like sample at the separation layer.
In the above processing system, for example, the separating apparatus preferably ejects a stream of a fluid to the separation layer while horizontally holding and rotating the plate-like sample to separate the plate-like sample at the separation layer.
In the above processing system, the separating apparatus preferably separates the plate-like sample while, e.g., holding the sample by sandwiching the sample from upper and lower sides.
In the above processing system, the separating apparatus preferably has, e.g., a Bernoulli chuck as a holding mechanism for holding the plate-like sample.
In the above processing system, for example, the separating apparatus preferably applies pressure of a fluid which is substantially standing still to at least part of the separation layer of the plate-like sample to separate the plate-like sample at the separation layer.
In the above processing system, preferably, for example, the separating apparatus has a closed vessel, the plate-like sample is stored in the closed vessel, and pressure in the closed vessel is increased to separate the plate-like sample at the separation layer.
In the above processing system, the plurality of processing apparatuses preferably include, e.g., a centering apparatus for centering the plate-like sample before the plate-like sample is transferred to the separating apparatus.
In the above processing system, the plurality of processing apparatuses preferably include, e.g., a cleaning apparatus for cleaning a plate-like sample obtained by separation by the separating apparatus.
In the above processing system, for example, the cleaning apparatus preferably cleans the plate-like sample obtained by separation by the separating apparatus in a horizontal state.
In the above processing system, the plurality of processing apparatuses preferably include, e.g., a cleaning/drying apparatus for cleaning and drying the plate-like sample obtained by separation by the separating apparatus.
In the above processing system, for example, the cleaning/drying apparatus preferably cleans and dries the plate-like sample obtained by separation by the separating apparatus in a horizontal state.
In the above processing system, the plurality of processing apparatuses preferably include, e.g., an inverting apparatus for pivoting an upper plate-like sample of two plate-like samples obtained by separation by the separating apparatus through 180xc2x0.
In the above processing system, for example, the plurality of processing apparatuses preferably parallelly execute processing.
In the above processing system, the conveyor mechanism preferably comprises, e.g., a scalar robot and a driving mechanism for linearly driving the scalar robot in the horizontal plane.
In the above processing system, the separation layer is preferably a layer having a fragile structure.
In the above processing system, the layer having the fragile structure is preferably, e.g., a porous layer.
In the above processing system, the layer having the fragile structure is preferably, e.g., a microcavity layer.
In the above processing system, the plate-like sample to be processed is preferably, e.g., a semiconductor substrate.
In the above processing system, the plate-like sample to be processed is preferably formed by, e.g., bonding a first substrate and a second substrate and has a layer having a fragile structure as the separation layer.
In the above processing system, the plate-like sample to be processed is preferably formed by, e.g., forming a porous layer on a surface of a first semiconductor substrate, forming an unporous layer on the porous layer, and bonding a second substrate to the unporous layer.
According to the present invention, there is provided a processing system for processing a plate shaped sample, characterized by comprising a plurality of processing apparatuses for handling or processing the plate shaped sample, and a conveyor mechanism having a holding portion for substantially horizontally holding the plate shaped sample, the conveyor mechanism moving said holding portion to conveyor the plate shaped sample among the plurality of processing apparatuses while transferring/receiving the plate shaped sample to/from each of the plurality of processing apparatuses in a substantially horizontal state, wherein the plurality of processing apparatuses are disposed at positions where the conveyor mechanism can transfer the plate shaped sample and the plurality of processing apparatuses include a separating apparatus for separating the plate shaped sample while substantially horizontally holding the plate shaped sample, and an inverting apparatus for pivoting an upper plate shaped sample of two plate shaped samples obtained by separation by the separating apparatus through 180xc2x0.
Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.